Notturno by Z.A. Maxfield

[reviews_and_ramblings]

I should plea forgiveness to Z.A. Maxfield. More or less one year ago she told me she was thinking to write a book with a dashing Italian vampire and asked me if I knew of a place that could be his Italian home. If I remember well she did me some inputs and I told her that San Sepolcro could be the right place. Then some months later she sent me a first draft and I checked the italian words, but really, she did the work all by herself and I didn't find any mistake. So you see my help was little thing and when she sent me a print signed copy I was really glad but it was not necessary. The book arrived more or less at the end of July and obviously I emailed back the author to thank her but since it was a print book, I saved it for a travel in train or plane, when I prefer to read a real book instead of my laptop. So I enjoyed the hand written dedica on the first page, and looked at how pretty the cover was and the book remained on my nightstand table till today (ndr I'm writing this post on a note book on my flight to Philadelphia).

Obviously as soon as I was seated on my sit I opened the book ready to enjoy some hours of dashing vampires and what was there on the second page? A printed dedica to me! OMG, Z.A. Maxfield dedicated the book to me and to another friend for all the world to see and I haven't even written back to ZAM to appropriately thank her, what did she think of my ungrateful behavior? So this long introduction is to let ZAM know that I'm really stunned and honored and deeply grateful.

Coming back to the story, it delivered what promised and I had my dashing vampire, Donte, and the vampire himself had a worthy partner in Adin. Actually on the contrary of the usual tale on the innocent victim fallen prey of the most erotic and dangerous vampire, here it's the vampire who seems to fall for the apparently innocent Adin, who has instead a naughty core.

Adin is a professor, but he is not the mousy type, he is an exerpt in ancient erotic manuscripts, and his latest discovery is a XVI century journal of two noblemen in a clandestine affair. Being Adin gay, the idea of that is even more appealing. At first Adin has a detached attitude towards the journal, he sees it like a piece of erotica and he is not interested in the personal lives of the men in it. But then he meets Donte: since Donte has sex with him and meanwhile sucks his blood, it doesn't take much to Adin to find out Donte's true nature. The man claims to be the author of the journal and he wants it back. Again the focus of the story is more the sex than the reason why Donte wants back the journal, and again Adin seems not moved by the situation, or at least not so much... it was good sex after all.

The the story takes a turn, Adin starts to read the journal and he finds out that it's not an erotic journal, but a love story. Like the nature of the jorunal changes in Adin's eyes, so does the mood of the book, and Adin himself, who claimed to not believe in love, and has always had one night stands or meaningless relationships, starts to wonder how could it be to have a real love like the one in the journal. And he is lucky enough that the man who lived that love is still here. The problem is, could that man loves another man so much?

The story is a full and classical vampire tale, and like that it has its high erotic mood, but it's a classy eroticism, even when the sex happensin an airplane lavatory. Both characters are good but strange enough it's Adin who comes out as the strongest, Donte is powerful and ancient, but he has the behavior of an artist, instead Adin is more the warrior type. And it's really strange since it's all a question of attitude, Adin is small and lithe and he always takes the submissive role during sex. Nevertheless I found him bigger than himself.

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Comments

[jans-intentions.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed your review very much. This is a book I've wanted to read. Zam is one of the kindest, smartest people I have encountered.

[zamaxfield.livejournal.com]

I should say Hi and thanks to Jan as well... ;-)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Yes she is and the book it's as well. Elisa

[zamaxfield.livejournal.com]

Hi Elisa, thanks for the kind words, and I am deeply grateful for the language check. I should probably mention here that the next volume will need some help as well, especially since Donte and Adin have to heat up their Italian love talk a little. I left them just at the true beginning of their story, and I'm working on the sequel now. Have a lovely and safe trip and please take lots of beautiful pictures!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

You are more than welcome to ask what you want ZAM, I will be forver your Italian consultant. Elisa

[asurayuda.livejournal.com]

Ciao, posso farti una domanda? Quando parli di San Sepolcro ti riferisci alla cittadina in provincia di Arezzo? Se così fosse wow, sarebbe incredibilmente emozionante.
Scusa per il commento poco pertinente alla recensione, comunque ne approfitto e ti faccio tanti complimenti per il tuo straordinario lavoro. AS

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Certo, proprio quella San Sepolcro li. I miei zii abitano a Monterchi, molto vicino, e mi sembrava il posto adatto da consigliare a Z.A. Maxfield per il suo libro. Attenta però che nel libro è citata solo come luogo di origine del protagonista, e non ci sono scene ambientate la. Elisa

[asurayuda.livejournal.com]

Be' io sono di Arezzo e sono sempre molto orgogliosa delle varie perle disseminate nelle mie quattro vallate e sono felice anche quando vengono semplicemente citate. Per cui grazie per aver pensato ad una di loro :)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

E' stato un piacere ;-) Elisa